Dear Honorable Senators of the State of Washington - 58th Legislature,

After reading the SR-8668 draft, millions of Vietnamese Americans are
saddened
by the recent changes. This is a complete reversal of SR-8659, the Resolution
first proposed by Senator Paull Shin and had the support of 18 other Senators
and most Vietnamese Americans. The only reasons for the millions of Vietnamese
Americans to support and applaud the SR-8659 were that it states in:

1/ point #5: The current government of Vietnam continues to
harass, interrogate, and arrest individuals advocating democracy; and

2/ point #7: The flag of the free Vietnamese people consists of three
horizontal stripes of red upon a field of gold, and this flag is an eternal
symbol of the hope and love of freedom for all people of Vietnamese descent,
just as the American flag symbolizes these virtues for citizens across
America; and

3/ point #8: Dating back to 1948, this flag has a long history in Vietnam
and is a broader symbol of resilience, freedom, and democracy of and for
the Vietnamese American Community; and

4/ point #9 : This flag remains a poignant reminder of the threat of
communism and the imperative of remaining vigilant in opposition to tyranny
of all forms, and to actively support human rights;

5/ SR-8659 resolved to: honor the Golden Flag with Three Red Stripes
as the flag of the Vietnamese American Communities in Washington;

In the SR-8668 draft, the above key points were removed then replaced
with highly unfavorable statements to the millions of Vietnamese Americans
hence offending tens of thousands of your constituents. SR-8668 resolution
was clearly in favor of the oppressive communist regime in Vietnam by the
statement:

"Since the United States re-established diplomatic relations
with Vietnam, our state and nation have benefited from increased trade
and cultural exchange".

By passing the SR-8668, the Washington Senate would send a signal to the
communist government in Vietnam that the United States:

1/ condone the oppressive communist regime and ignore its continuation
of gross violation of Basic Human Rights, and

2/ America do not stand for, nor wish to promote Freedom and Democracy
in Vietnam.

We urge the Honorable Senators of the State of Washington to introduce
and pass the original Senate Resolution No. 8659 to promote Democracy,
Freedom and to protect Human Rights in Vietnam.

We respectfully request that: if for some reasons the Senate can not
introduce Resolution No. 8659, then please understand your constituents
and have the decency NOT to introduce SR-8668, because this would add great
insult to the millions of Vietnamese Americans who believe in Freedom and
Democracy.

WHEREAS,
The people of the former Republic of Vietnam were valiant in their resistance
to the aggression of communist North Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, Over 3.4 million American servicemen and women served in Southeast
Asia during the Vietnam War, of which 303,000 were wounded and over 58,000
made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of freedom for the Vietnamese
people; and

WHEREAS, The end of the Vietnam conflict produced an exodus of over two
million Vietnamese who sought political asylum in the free world and bravely
risked their lives to live under the prosperity of democracy; and

WHEREAS, Many of these refugees settled in Washington State, and over 100,000
Vietnamese Americans and residents of Vietnamese descent, live in and have
a long history of contributing to the business, economic development, and
community of our state; and

WHEREAS, The current government of Vietnam continues to harass, interrogate,
and arrest individuals advocating democracy; and

WHEREAS, Many officers and enlisted personnel of the former Republic of
Vietnam were imprisoned as enemies of the state, as were intellectuals,
teachers, and artists; and

WHEREAS, The flag of the free Vietnamese people consists of three horizontal
stripes of red upon a field of gold, and this flag is an eternal symbol
of the hope and love of freedom for all people of Vietnamese descent, just
as the American flag symbolizes these virtues for citizens across America;
and

WHEREAS, Dating back to 1948, this flag has a long history in Vietnam and
is a broader symbol of resilience, freedom, and democracy of and for the
Vietnamese American Community; and

WHEREAS, This flag remains a poignant reminder of the threat of communism
and the imperative of remaining vigilant in opposition to tyranny of all
forms, and to actively support human rights;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Washington
recognize the contributions of the Vietnamese American Community to the
business, economic development, and community of Washington; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate honor the gold flag with three
red stripes as the flag of the Vietnamese American Community in Washington;
and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Senate shall immediately
transmit copies of this resolution to the recognized leaders of the Vietnamese
Community in Washington.

WHEREAS, The end of the Vietname conflict produced
an exodus of over two million Vietnamese who sought a new life, and

WHEREAS, Many of these refugees settled in
Washington State, and over 100,000 Vietnamese-Americans and residents of
Vietnamese descent live in and have a long history of contributing to the
business, economic development, and culture of our state; and

WHEREAS, Vietnamese-Americans have distinguished
themselves through community services and in our nation's armed forces;
and

WHEREAS, Vietnamese-Americans own and operate
approximately 3,000 businesses in Washington that have gross sales and
receipts of $446 million annually, pay $56 million in taxes per year, and
employ many Washingtonians; and

WHEREAS, Since the United States reestablished
diplomatic relations with Vietnam, our state and nation have benefited
from increased trade and cultural exchange; and

WHEREAS, The Vietnamese people have a long
and distinguished history of cultural, academic, and scientific achievement;
and

WHEREAS, Washington's quality of life is greatly
enhanced by the Vietnamese-American community in our state;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate
of the State of Washington recognize the contributions of the Vietnamese-American
community to business, economic development, and culture in Washington;
and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary
of the State shall immediately transmit copies of this resolution to the
recognized leaders of the Vietnamese Community in Washington.